ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Without leading scorer Shareef Abdur-Rahim,
the Atlanta Hawks still delivered a victory over the Chicago
Bulls.

Jason Terry scored 23 points to lead seven players in double
figures and matched a career high with 13 assists as the Hawks
defeated the struggling Bulls, 112-96, for their season-best
fifth straight home win.

Abdur-Rahim is in Berkeley, California, where his wife, Dee
Dee, gave birth to the couple's first child Saturday morning.

Alan Henderson stepped into the starting lineup and contributed
a season-high 16 points, including 12 in the opening quarter,
and added 11 rebounds. The 6-9 forward-center helped the Hawks
post their eighth win in 11 games and clinch the first winning
month in two seasons under Kruger.

"Iíve been here three years, I am tired of losing," Terry said.
"Everyone in this locker room feels the same way. It's
turning around slowly but surely and we're building for the
future every day."

Terry tied the assist total he recorded at Chicago on December
15, 2000. The eight wins in March were the most by the Hawks
in any month since April 1999, when they were 10-6 under Lenny
Wilkens.

Jalen Rose had 26 points for the Bulls, who have lost three
straight and 11 of their last 12 games. They also dropped the
season series with Atlanta, 3-1.

"There is a fine line between winning and losing in this
league," Bulls coach Bill Cartwright said. "At this point in
time, it's tough, but you have to push through it. You have to
get through it and do the little things, make the correct
rotations defensively, stop chasing anybody. Our goal is to
find our identity before the end of the season."

Abdur-Rahim, who is averaging 21.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per
game, missed just the eighth game of his six-year career. A
2000 U.S. Olympian, he will rejoin the Hawks for Sunday's game
at New Jersey.

Since the All-Star break, Atlanta is 12-7, tying Orlando for
the third-best record in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit
(14-7) and Miami (13-7).

"This team since the All-Star break has definitely come
together," Terry said. "We're starting to band together.
Without Shareef tonight, it was just another challenge."

The Bulls never led, but they scored the first six points of
the final quarter as a layup by Rose made it 86-82 with 10:46
to play.

"We got a little careless to start the fourth," Kruger said.
"In a game like that, it kind of goes to 16 or goes to four.
It went to four and it was a ballgame. I would have liked to
avoid that, but the response to that was pretty good."

The Hawks answered with a 15-4 run to put the game out of
reach. Terry chipped in six points, capping the outburst with
a three-point play with just under eight minutes left that
opened a 101-86 advantage.

"We have a lot of young guys that haven't played many games,"
Bulls forward Charles Oakley said. "When you come to a job,
you have to perform. I'm not putting pressure on them, but
it's a lot of work. It's not just during the game but in
practice and having the right attitude to work. It's either in
your soul or it isn't."

Fred Hoiberg had six points during 11-2 run in the second
quarter that trimmed Chicago's deficit to 40-38 with 7:07
remaining. Rookie Eddy Curry capped the burst with a pair of
free throws and finished with 15 points, reaching double
figures for the fourth time in six games.

However, the Hawks closed the half with a 16-8 run. DerMarr
Johnson nailed a pair of 3-pointers on his way to a 17-point
performance and Terry supplied five points and three assists as
Atlanta took a 62-52 lead into the locker room.

"We reacted very well to Shareef not being here," Johnson said.
"Alan came up with 12 points in the first quarter and it
really gave us a lift."